Certain Oral Bacteria Tied to Risk for New Head, Neck Squamous Cell Cancer
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 2, 2024 -- Certain oral bacteria are a risk factor for development of head and neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC), according to a study published online Sept. 26 in JAMA Oncology.
Soyoung Kwak, Ph.D., from the New York University Grossman School of Medicine in New York City, and colleagues tested whether oral bacterial and fungal microbiomes are associated with a subsequent risk for HNSCC development. The analysis included 236 participants who prospectively developed HNSCC during a median 5.1 years of follow-up and 485 matched control participants.
The researchers found that overall microbiome diversity at baseline was not related to subsequent HNSCC risk. However, 13 oral bacterial species were differentially associated with development of HNSCC, including the newly identified Prevotella salivae, Streptococcus sanguinis, and Leptotrichia species, as well as several species belonging to beta and gamma Proteobacteria. There was a moderate association between the red/orange periodontal pathogen complex and HNSCC risk (odds ratio, 1.06 per one standard deviation [SD]; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.00 to 1.12). A one-SD increase in microbial risk score based on 22 bacteria was associated with an increased risk for HNSCC (multivariate odds ratio, 1.50; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.21 to 1.85). There was no association seen between fungal taxa and HNSCC risk.
"The identified bacteria and bacterial complexes hold promise, along with other risk factors, to identify high-risk individuals for personalized prevention of HNSCC," the authors write.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted October 2024
Read this next
Updated Guidance Improves Staging of HPV-Positive Oropharyngeal Cancer
MONDAY, July 21, 2025 -- Version nine of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) and Union for International Cancer Control staging system (AJCC9V) human papillomavirus...
Adding Pembrolizumab to Standard Care Ups Event-Free Survival in Head, Neck Cancer
FRIDAY, June 27, 2025 -- For patients with locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), the addition of neoadjuvant and adjuvant pembrolizumab to standard care...
AI Model Can Aid Physicians in Skin Cancer Diagnoses
TUESDAY, June 17, 2025 -- The PanDerm artificial intelligence (AI) model improves skin cancer diagnosis when used by doctors, according to a research article published online June...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.